I see this question often, whether it’s in my inbox or\u00a0in online author groups.<\/p>\n

The answer depends on a number of things, including whether you write fiction or nonfiction, how much time you can devote to e-mail marketing, and whether you’ve got a blog with content that appeals to\u00a0your target audience.<\/p>\n

There’s more to staying in touch with fans by e-mail\u00a0than figuring out what to write about, though. If you haven’t started the process yet, you’ll find these four basic steps helpful.<\/p>\n

Step 1: Add yourself to newsletter lists<\/h2>\n

I always recommend that you subscribe to the lists of others and study what they do before you create your own newsletter or make content decisions. You’ll see what you like and don’t like and get a sense of different styles and formats.<\/p>\n

Don’t limit yourself to authors in your genre.\u00a0And don’t limit yourself to authors, either. Add yourself to the lists of online marketers, too, so you can see how the pros do it. There will be things\u00a0you don’t like (including the daily frequency of\u00a0many of them), but you might pick up a few ideas you like, too.<\/p>\n

Step 2: Start building a list<\/h2>\n

While you’re studying\u00a0what others are doing and before you finalize\u00a0what to send your list, you need to start building that list\u00a0because it can take time to acquire enough e-mail addresses to mail to.<\/p>\n

The most important thing to know is that people have to give you permission to send them repeated messages. They have to “opt in” to your list.\u00a0For information on how to make that happen\u00a0and some of the resources that will help you, read “Building your author e-mail list<\/a>” on this site.<\/p>\n

As noted in that article,\u00a0the best and easiest way to start gathering addresses is by adding a form to your website. The form needs to be linked to an e-mail management service (you’ve heard the names before — iContact<\/a>, Constant Contact<\/a>, aWeber<\/a>, MailChimp<\/a>, etc.). (A couple of those are affiliate links.) Each service\u00a0offers tutorials that walk you through the process of connecting their software to your website. If it’s over your head, do what I do: Call them or pay someone to do it for you.<\/p>\n

Step 3: Determine frequency<\/h2>\n

Once you’ve started building your list, it’s time to think about how often you’ll mail to them and what you’ll send.<\/p>\n

Frequency options include:<\/p>\n

\n
• Occasional or “as it happens.”<\/strong> Some authors prefer this because they\u2019re not locked into a schedule.<\/li>\n
• Quarterly.<\/strong> It\u2019s an easy schedule, but quarterly isn\u2019t frequent\u00a0enough to be effective.<\/li>\n
• Monthly.<\/strong> Many find this do-able. Try to send it on the same day every month.<\/li>\n
• Bi-weekly.<\/strong> Do you have enough to say to send an e-mail twice a month? Can you sustain that frequency?<\/li>\n
• Weekly.<\/strong> You\u2019ll certainly be top of mind with your list if you communicate on a weekly basis, but most authors will struggle to maintain this schedule, especially those who don’t write for a living.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

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